Maple-honey spread and process of making the same



United States Patent I, 2,760,870 MAPLE-HONEY SPREAD AND PROCESS OFMAKING THE SAME Joseph Naghski, Philadelphia, Charles 0. Willits,Glenside, William L. Porter, Philadelphia, and Jonathan W. White, Jr.,Willow Grove, Pa., assignors to the United States of America asrepresented by the Secretary of Agriculture No Drawing. ApplicationJanuary 28, 1954, Serial No. 406,905-

4 Claims. (Cl. 99142) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec.266) A non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license in the inventionherein described, for all governmental purposes, throughout the world,with power to grant sublicenses for such purposes, is hereby granted tothe Government of the United States of America.

This invention relates to maple sirup of high viscosity and high solidscontent and to micro-crystalline maplehoney blends and to processes forthe manufacture of these products.

An object of this invention is to provide a stable, noncrystallizing,high-viscosity maple sirup. Another object is to provide a stable,micro-crystalline maple-honey blended spread having the desirableconsistency of conventional maple cream or micro-crystalline honey, yethaving the desirable flavors of both maple and honey products.

It has long been recognized that the unique flavors of maple sugarproducts and of honey form a particularly desirable blend. Since thedevelopment of the highly popular micro-crystalline honey spread and theequally popular micro-crystalline maple cream, many efforts have beenmade to blend the two to obtain a maple-honey spread. Heretofore, allsuch efforts ended in failure because the complexity and diversity ofcomposition of the two components led to unexpected and undesirableresults. Thus, if one merely mixes maple cream with microcrystallinehoney the mixture is unstable and soon liquefies. If one mixes maplesirup with liquid honey the mixture cannot be crystallized. If oneconcentrates standard maple sirup (65.5% total solids) to a highersolids content in an efiort to facilitate crystallization of the blend,the maple sirup crystallizes prematurely while the blend still refusesto crystallize.

According to the present invention a stable, high-solids, high-viscositymaple sirup which alone does not crystallize, yet which readily mixeswith liquid honey to form a crystallizable blend of highly desirableflavor and consistency can be made by concentrating maple sirup to about75-82% solids content and then treating with invertase.

To obtain the sirup for treatment with invertase one may concentrateordinary maple sirup of about 65.5% solids, or add water to commercialmaple sugar, or similarly use a high-flavored maple sirup or sugarproduct. We prefer to make a high-flavored maple sirup of the desiredconcentration by the process disclosed in the copending application oftwo of us (C. O. Willits and W. L. Porter), Serial No. 321,958, filedNovember 21, 1952, and entitled Production of Maple Sugar ProductsHaving Enhanced Flavor. According to this preferred process, asubstantially colorless and flavorless maple sirup of about 65% solidsis prepared, preferably by the vacuum concentration of sap, and is thenfurther concentrated at either atmospheric or reduced pressure to about90% solids. This is then maintained at about from 225-260 F., pref-2,760,870 Patented Aug. 28, 1956 ice erably at about 252 F. (itsatmospheric boiling point), for a time suflicient to develop maximummaple flavor. The product thus made has 10 to 20 times the concentrationof maple flavor that is found in ordinary fancy maple sirup or sugar.This product may then be diluted if desired. For use in the presentinvention the high-flavored product is diluted with water to about75-82% solids and is then treated with invertase.

It has been found that there is no loss of maple flavor and nodevelopment of off-flavors when maple sirup is concentrated to 85%solids and then treated with invertase. However, if sirup of about 65.5%solids is treated with invertase and then concentrated to 70-85% solids,very objectionable off-flavors are produced.

If ordinary or high-flavored maple sirup is adjusted to a concentrationin the range 70-85% solids, the sirup is unstable and soon crystallizes.However, if it is treated with invertase before the onset ofcrystallization it eitherfails to crystallize or any crystals that formare subsequently dissolved. The sirup thus obtained will not crystallizeeven if seeded with crystals.

After treatment with invertase the sirup is more viscous than before, aproperty that makes it desirable not only for blending with honey butalso for use as a table sirup or as a topping for cake, ice cream andthe like. All previous attempts to make a heavy bodied pure maple siruphave failed because if ordinary sirup is concentrated to the point wherethe desired viscosity is attained, the sirup is unstable and sooncrystallizes.

F or'use as a table sirup or a topping the sirup may be of anyconcentration up to about 85% solids, though the desirable highviscosity is not obtained below about 70% solids. For use in making themaple-honey crystallized spread, the maple sirup should be in theconcentration range of about -82% solids in order to obtain readycrystallization and the desired spreadable consistency.

The invertase treatment is carried out in the same Way as for theinversion of an equivalent amount of sucrose sirup. A commercialinvertase preparation, such as that obtained from yeast, is mixed withthe sirup and the mixture is stored for about 7 to 10 days at atemperature of about 20 to 50 C. The potency of commercial invertasepreparations is usually stated by the manufacturer or, may be determinedby its action on a standard sucrose sirup The preferred amount to use issuch that it will produce 50 to 75% inversion of a sucrose sirup ofequivalent density. Complete inversion is to be avoided as it leads tothe formation of an unstable table sirup that will granulate on agingand on admixture with honey will produce a spread of hard consistency.It has been found that sirups containing 50 to 75 invert produce thedesirable products. Sirups that have been inverted excessively can becorrected by the addition and admixture of sufficient pure maple sirupof equivalent density to bring the degree of inversion within to thedesired range.

To make the novel maple-honey spread of this invention, the invertasetreated maple sirup of about 75-82% solids content is mixed with liquidhoney so that the maple sirup constitutes about 10-50% of the mixture.The liquid mixture is then seeded with dextrose crystals and stored forseveral days until crystallization is substantially complete. A storagetemperature of 13-15 C. is preferred as it yields a product of smootherconsistency. The product is a stable semi-solid of soft, butteryconsistency which may be stored indefinitely at ordinary roomtemperature Without change in appearance, flavor or consistency. Theproportion in which the invertase treated maple sirup and the honey aremixed is a subjective decision largely determined by the exact flavorpreferred. Because of the high cost of the maple sirup and the potencyof its flavor we generally prefer to use it in the proportion of 5 to50% of the mixture. When the preferred high-flavored maple sirup, suchas that prepared by the process of the previously mentioned applicationof Willits and Porter, is used, then about 5% is ample to confer thedesired flavor on the product. Such high-flavored maple sirup is alsopreferred because it contains much less of the undesirable caramelflavor and color than is found in other maple products.

We claim:

1. The process for making a micro-crystalline maplehoney spreadcomprising treating maple sirup of about 75-82% solids content withinvertase, mixing the invertase-treated sirup With honey in theproportion of about 5-50% of sirup to 9550% of honey, and crystallizingthe product by seeding it With dextrose crystals and then holding itunder conditions to produce substantial crystallization.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the maple sirup used is high-flavoredsirup made by concentrating bland sirup to about 90% solids content,heating at about 225260 F. to develop maximum maple flavor, and dilutingwith Water to about 75-82% solids content.

3. A micro-crystalline maple-honey spread comprising about 550% ofinvertas-treated maple sirup of about 7582% solids content and about5095% of honey.

4. The process of making a stable, non-crystallizing, high-viscosity,high-flavored maple sirup which comprises concentrating a bland maplesirup to about 90% solids content, heating the concentrated sirup atabout 225-260" F. until the maximum maple flavor has been developed,diluting the resulting sirup With Water to a solids content of about70-85%, and then treating the diluted sirup with invertase.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. THE PROCESS FOR MAKING A MICRO-CRYSTALLINE MAPLEHONEY SPREADCOMPRISING TREATING MAPLE SIRUP OF ABOUT 75-82% SOLIDS CONTENT WITHINVERTASE, MIXING THE INVERTASE-TREATED SIRUP WITH HONEY IN THEPROPORTION OF ABOUT 5-50% OF SIRUP TO 95-50% OF HONEY, AND CRYSTALLIZINGTHE PRODUCT BY SEEDING IT WITH DEXTROSE CRYSTALS AND THEN HOLDING ITUNDER CONDITIONS TO PRODUCE SUBSTANTIAL CRYSTALLIZATION.